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28/06/2019

Perchang on Nintendo Switch is an elegant puzzler video game with some striking Music (although slightly repetitive music) and a lovely looking clean design.The game uses ball bearings, Coloured Paddles and an obstacle course with various other gadgets set out in an abstract puzzle environment.You use A/B/X to change the colours of the paddles in play. ZL then moves the red paddles and ZR moves the blue paddles and objects within the puzzle.The aim (much like Lemmings crossed with Peggle) is to get the ball bearings "home" ASAP for a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Pass rating. A pretty simple concept is the basis of every great puzzle game.

When you finish a level a nice slo-mo finish ball comes into play just like Peggle to add a little drama to the proceedings, although, in my opinion, it could have done with a few milliseconds after the timer runs out to finish off a ball run instead of just stopping dead as this would have created those 'on the buzzer' moments like you experience in Peggle (and NBA JAM :) The further you get into the game the more contraptions come into play like fans, suction pipes and sticky runways which keep adding to the complexity and skill sets that you are constantly being asked t use to complete the level.The levels actually feel like a homemade contraption experiment that's been set up in a laboratory somewhere in space!At points, this actually feels like a Pinball game and then later on it reminded me of those Honda adverts with the ingenious contraptions! (The Cog - Honda Advert)

Perchang makes your brain multitask in a way it doesn't want to but in a good way if you get what I mean?!Some later puzzles require you to play it a few times to get a feel for how much flip, wind or timing is required but you never feel stuck but instead feel challenged by your dexterity and thought combined.The optional touch screen controls bring a nice dimension to the overall feel and I found it easier using these touch controls after I switched at Level 20. The game was originally a mobile game so the game was originally designed for these controls and it shows.

I found that sometimes you need to sacrifice balls in order to complete a level as it's not about getting all the balls home but just a set number defined by how many white lights that you need to light up on the contraption.After you put this game down you can't stop thinking about how to approach the puzzle you are stuck on, which is the sign of a great puzzle video game!Once you complete Level 25 the theme of the puzzles switches up to a Space style but with the same principles as the previous puzzles and this provides some needed variation on the theme.Also in Level 26, there's a nice nod to Portal with the introduction of Portals for your balls to warp through which is damn cool and again a nicely timed introduction to a new game mechanic.SummaryThis puzzle game has left a mark on me as I went into it not expecting much and now it's all I can think about!It's a game to sit down with for 30 minutes and bash out a few puzzles until you get stuck, then walk away, think about it and come back to it half an hour later. It's a cracker and at the £9.99 mark, it's a great purchase for any hardcore or casual Puzzler fans!Right, I'm off to play Lemmings followed by Screwball Scramble!

❄️ RATING: ICE COOL ❄️

Ratings Explained

ICE COOL (Great Game Recommended)

MELTING (Recommended with reservations, one to consider if you are a fan of the genre)